Sanju Samson failed to make the cut in India’s playing XI for the first T20I against South Africa at Cuttack on Tuesday (December 9). For the talented wicketkeeper-batter, it was probably a signal that he has fallen behind in the team management’s evolving pecking order.
During the Asia Cup 2025 in UAE, Shubman Gill’s return to the T20I fold as vice-captain saw Samson losing his spot at the top of the order despite hitting three hundreds last year.
After receiving some chances in the middle-order, Samson was made to warm bench in the third, fourth and fifth T20Is of the Australia tour last month, with another wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma being given the first preference because of his match finishing abilities.
The same selection policy continued in the T20I series opener against South Africa, prompting a blunt analysis of Samson's situation from former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
"There was a lot of talk before the game that Sanju should play, and why is he not being played, and all that. Whenever Sanju is dropped from the team, there is always a discussion, the question of whether he got a fair run, and all that. The moment Shubman Gill came into the side, and as a vice-captain, Sanju was always going to find it difficult to get into the XI," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
"Sanju has not played enough at No.5, and Jitesh Sharma is there in the squad for his finishing abilities. That was the role he played for RCB, so it was always going to be difficult for Sanju. If you are playing Sanju, play him at No.3, use him against spin," he added.
Speaking of the Cuttack T20I, India kicked off the series with a crushing 101-run victory over South Africa.
Asked to bat first, the Men in Blue posted a formidable 175/6 on the board, thanks to all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s whirlwind 59 not out off 28 balls.
In reply, the Proteas innings folded for a paltry 74 in 12.3 overs. All the Indian bowlers used by the captain managed to claim at least one wicket.
While the pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh took two wickets each, the spin twin of Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel bagged a couple of scalps as well. Hardik and his fellow seam-bowling all-rounder Shivam Dube also troubled the South African batters, returning with wicket apiece.
Ashwin was effusive in praise of Hardik’s match-winning knock. "India were five down for literally nothing, from there they were able to score freely and get 170 plus. Hardik Pandya played a brilliant knock, it did not seem like he was coming back from an injury. He looked in pristine form, but South Africa did not have enough ammunition in their bank to restrict India," Ashwin stated.
"The power that Hardik Pandya has, especially against spin. That bat swing is something that I would trade anything for. After watching his innings, I feel like he is supremely confident. He is not thinking about how many wickets have fallen, how much his score is, and all that. The ball is there to hit, he is hitting it. He is very clear in the head, and he is very confident in the way he is batting. There is no replacement for Hardik in India at this point in time, and I hope we can really find one," he further remarked.
Hardik Pandya earned the Player-of-the-Match award with India 1-0 up in the series. The second T20I will be played in Chandigarh on Thursday (December 11).
